Contemplation​in Action:Missionary Thoughts Of The Week

“I am affected by autism. What can the Mission of Saint Thorlak do for me?”

Before we answer, we need to give you fair warning. Everything we say and do is said and done deliberately, contemplatively and, in food terms, would be considered nutrient-dense. We are out to feed souls, and with a talented contemplative poet as our spiritual patron, we intend to do so with rich context and multi-layered meanings. We are literal and figurative, metaphorical and lyrical. And oh, how we love words and word origins. Words are our ingredients, and if we are looking to serve the spiritually hungry, we must strive to choose wisely.

You will forgive us, then, if we wonder about the manner in which this question is asked.

What can this Mission do for ME? = What does this Mission have to offer, that I will find useful?

What can THIS Mission do for me? = What makes this Mission better suited than others out there?

What can this Mission DO […for me]? = How will my undertaking this Mission benefit me?

Well, before we go too far into the deep, let’s start with the assumption that this was an ordinary question deserving a basic overview.

For someone affected by autism, The Mission of Saint Thorlak can:

Provide spiritual direction specific to the experience of autism

Provoke ideas to encourage further spiritual growth, activity and inquiry

Cultivate a sense of purpose for your life

Help you see where you fit into God’s plan

Help you see and comprehend God’s workings in and around your life

Effectively combat spiritual starvation; that is, in you and in others

The Mission of Saint Thorlak is appropriate for individual participation by means of:

Self-directed reflection

One on one spiritual direction, as our capability permits

The Mission of Saint Thorlak is appropriate for group participation by means of:

Discussion topics/themes

Activities

* Group activities will maintain a slow, contemplative format regardless of group size. Groups may be led by you, or you may join as a participant. Groups may be formed in any number of ways. There might be a group formed spontaneously by people of similar interest… as part of a parish youth group… in a college/young adult group ministry… as an extracurricular or homeschool group… truly, the possibilities are limitless.

* Groups need not be limited to people with autism diagnoses. We deliberately say “people affected by autism” because that includes people with ASD and people who have someone with ASD somewhere in their circle.

An important note: The materials necessary to conduct Mission groups are in different stages of completion and have not yet been posted. We will prominently announce when these materials are available for download.

There, that was easy. Easy question, easy answer.

Not so fast.

Let’s answer those other two connotations.

What can THIS Mission do for me? = What makes this Mission better suited than others out there?

In short: Nothing.

That’s right. We are a contemplative apostolate hoping to end spiritual starvation in the world. If this resonates with you, either because you are spiritually hungry and find nourishment here, or because you want to do something to feed hungry souls, then we’re very glad to have you here. We are not a business. Our bottom line is: How many souls are still starving on our watch, and what are we going to do about it? If our Mission not a good fit for you, we pray you find what you need.

Then: What can this Mission DO […for me]? ​= How will my undertaking this Mission benefit me?

Ah. This is our favorite.

Your decision to join hands with the Mission of Saint Thorlak will be of some benefit to you – we can almost certainly guarantee that. It’s not because of anything we do, though. It’s the very act of joining hands, of stepping forward, that will bring you what you need.

See: We are here to promote need. By admitting our need, we draw others to us. By exposing our need to others, we affirm that they are necessary to others around them… and, their response provides the nourishment we needed. Caritas is impossible without need… and, surprising though it is to realize this: unlike physical need, spiritual need is a choice.

(Don’t worry. We’ll get much deeper into that later on down the road.)